The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7307 p43
10 July 2004

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Most herbals to be GSL

Most products expected to fall within the rules of the new European Union directive on traditional herbal medicines are likely to be classified as general sale list medicines.

This is because the directive covers medicines that are intended to be used without supervision by medical practitioners, says the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. However, it adds that it might be possible to have a category of traditional herbal medicines that can only be used under the supervision of registered herbal practitioners if a registration scheme is introduced. Government consultation on a registration scheme closed last month, but the outcome is not yet known.

Formal consultation on transposing the herbal medicines directive into UK legislation will need to start soon, since the directive has to be implemented by 30 October 2005.